Okay, please turn with me to the book of Hebrews. We are going to talk today about the last chapter of Hebrews. We have arrived to the 13th chapter of Hebrews, and I believe we're going to take this chapter with dividing it into two sessions, so we don't have to rush through this chapter, And at the same time, to kind of see the exhortations and the encouragement that the writer challenged and encouraged the Hebrew believers of first century. And I'm going to read today the first nine verses, which deals with some very practical things that applied not only to them 2,000 years ago, but also for you and I as well today.

And this is very interesting, beloved brothers and sisters, because you can see how applicable it is for you and I today in this period of time in which we live in. So let me read those verses first of all, and please follow with me. Hebrews 13, verse 1. Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bad undefiled, but whomongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation or let your manner of life be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what men shall do unto me.

Remember them that have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, the end of their manner of life, Yeshua the Messiah, the same yesterday and today and forever. Be not carried about with diverse and strange doctrine, For it is a good thing that a heart be established with grace, not with foods which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. Let me read two more verses in this same chapter. Verse 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourself, for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is profitable for you.

Verse 24, salute them that have the rule over you, and all the saints, they of Italy salute you. And I'm stopping here with these verses. I read verses 17 and 24 together with the first nine verses because actually they belong to the same thoughts that we have here in this chapter. Now, let's just pause for a moment before we're going to go into the actual verses and remember where we came from in our study of Hebrews. When we have ended chapter 12 of this book, We have seen that the apostle wrote to these Hebrew Christians, Messianic Hebrew believers in the Lord. He wrote to them in chapter 12. He showed them the elevated position that they have been brought into.

He showed them that they did not only come to the Jerusalem, which then have existed as we have it today, but they have come to the heavenly Jerusalem. They have come by faith in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. They have entered into a relationship with God through the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and they have come into this heavenly Jerusalem, this special and unique relationship that they have been brought into because of the work of the Messiah. But he did not want them to think in their mind, okay, I've been brought into this relationship, into this heavenly relationship with the Lord. He did not want them to only think about this and to carry on their life without practical walk that's why we have the last chapter of this book to deal with the practical walk of the believer let me just refer you back to verse 22 of chapter 12 and notice what he tells them he says Ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly, the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Yeshua, the mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things that of Abel.

See, that's what he is telling them. When they became believers in the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, they have entered into a relationship that was far beyond the physical relationship. They have entered into a relationship with the Lord Jesus, with God, which brought them into the heavenly Jerusalem, into the innumerable company of angels, into the general assembly, into the assembly of the firstborn, which are written in heaven. They have been brought into a heavenly relationship with the Lord Jesus the Messiah. But now, in chapter 13, He is taking them back to the walk here upon the face of this earth. And brothers and sisters, this is exactly what you and I need today.

We have been saved. We have been brought into a relationship with the Lord. We are sons and daughters of the Father. And yet, beloved brothers and sisters, we are still living here in this world. And here is the apostle giving them practical things that they must seek to practice as they walk here in this world. And so you notice, by the way, that in chapter 11, he gave them an example of people who walk by faith. In chapter 12, he gave them an encouragement to walk by faith. And in chapter 13, he wants to see an evidence in the life of the believers that they live a life of faith.

And you and I, as believers, sometimes people ask us and tell us, you know, listen, I heard a lot about what you say, but what type of a life you live? How is your life? I hear so much about your knowledge of the Bible, but how is your practical walk with the Lord? And this is what we have been challenged, and those Hebrews 2,000 years ago had to be challenged with also. And so now in this chapter he gives them four important things that need to be evident in the life of the believers we are going to talk only about two today next time in the will of the Lord we're going to talk about the second two evidences that need to be in the life of the believers so here it is first of all in the first six verses he tells them first century Hebrews that all of them as much as the same as for you and i all of us all believers should have a spiritual fellowship all those Hebrews of old and all of you and i need to have what is known as spiritual fellowship with other believers have you ever heard of somebody ever saying to you you know what i'm a believer i'm a christian i'm a messianic i don't need necessarily to go to church meeting to a public meeting to a congregational meeting i can be on my own you see i am a child of God i am.

Saved i believe that the Lord Jesus the Messiah died for me and i'm going to go to heaven and Therefore, I do not need any communication with other believers. I'm going to be in heaven anyways, and everything is going to be fine. Look what the apostle is telling to those Hebrew believers here in the first six verses. Five things he's telling them in the first six verses. The first thing he's telling them, let brotherly love continue. You notice that? You see what he's saying? Saying first of all the love of the brethren the love between the brothers and sisters is essential it is the ground upon which we can continue on in our walk with the Lord can you imagine that you and i who became believers in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah became believers in the Lord Jesus we are saved and forgiven and we have no love relationship with each other can you imagine what kind of a conduct or behavior and outlook is going to be to a world around us and how we as brothers and sisters if we have not this love one towards another no wonder at times people do not want to associate with us if we don't practice this on a day-by-day basis you notice he doesn't say let brotherly love start he doesn't even say let brotherly love be but he says let brotherly love continue it should have been there before and it should be moving on in a continuation we are to love our brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus the Messiah this is part of the.

Spiritual fellowship that believers are to have is brotherly love you know some years ago i remember hearing a message from one of the brothers who was told by others he says i'm coming to the meeting and really there is no love in the meeting there's no love among the brothers and sisters there this brother answering he says what does it read in the Bible that people should love you what it said in the Bible that you should love the others if i will love you and you will love me and we're gonna love the others there will not be any problem with brotherly love the problem is we are expecting somebody will love us but we ourselves who need to show that love to the others oftentimes failing this that's why the apostle here telling them in verse 1 let brotherly love not only start not even be which it should be but continue it must have been there in these Hebrew believers it must have been there because he's telling them let's continue with it.

Don't stop it brothers and sisters sometimes it's very difficult to love the brothers and sisters sometimes it's very difficult to love others because they are so complicated and we are so complicated and we have our own views and our own manners and we really only like those that are like us that are suitable for our feelings but no he says let brotherly love continue and it's not only you know we know that the word agapeo means not only loving people that are family it is unconditional love it's not loving somebody because this person suits me is to love somebody in spite of the fact that he or she do not suit what i like or what i feel like and what an encouragement you see he was just telling them in the beginning in chapter 12 and verse 22 that we have come into this heavenly Jerusalem then he bring them back down to earth and he tell them listen you are belong to heaven that's where you are heading to but what about your day-by-day.

Living let brotherly love continue by the way these verses a brotherly love and to love the brethren are often found in the Scriptures it is in the book of Romans in chapter 12 the apostle Paul said i beseech you verse 1 brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be it transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is good and acceptable perfect will of God he's telling them in chapter 12 in the book of Romans and then he's moving down and he says to them in verse 10 be kindly affection one towards another with brotherly love in honor preferring one another you see this is the standard that the Lord is giving to us brotherly love it simply means that within the family of the people of God there ought to be a love relationship that we should have and prove it from one to another now we have to admit that.

This is something that we lack so much in our life it's easy to talk it's easy to stand in here and to tell about the necessity of brotherly love, but in practice, this need to be evident. And that's what he's telling the Hebrew believers of first century. Let brotherly love continue. Don't stop, but continue to love the brothers and sisters, even though at times they are not lovable, even though at times we are not lovable. Secondly, in verse 2, he's telling them another thing that is very important, and this is the importance of hospitality. How important is the hospitality? Again, it's a spiritual fellowship. And you see what he's saying here in verse 2?

Don't forget to entertain strangers, For thereby some have entertained angels unawares. He's speaking here of hospitality. We read earlier in Genesis 18, which had been read to us, the interesting story of Abraham entertaining angels in his own home, in his own tent. He didn't know that at first, at least. We just heard this in Genesis chapter 18, How he came out of his tent, and lo and behold, he saw three men. The first thing that Abraham did, he beseeched those three men to come into his own tent. He says, come into my house. Be a little while there. I'll wash your feet. I'll feed you. And then you can go on your way.

The entertaining of strangers to be hospitable is very important. This is very practical. You don't need to be a theologian to have the practice of hospitality. It's not a matter of how many verses we know from the Bible. It is very practical to introduce, to bring people into our own homes and to meet sometimes some of their needs and to have fellowship with them and even, beloved brothers and sisters, even sometimes strangers. Now, mind you, I would put here a qualification because you have to be careful, especially those days in which we live in. You have to be careful who comes into your own home.

But nevertheless, the necessity not to forget, to entertain strangers, some, he said, thereby some have entertained angels unawares. You know that sometimes you never know who comes to your home. Years ago, when our children were young, there were some people that, oftentimes we brought people to our home in Niagara-on-the-Lay, and sometimes you never know who comes to your house. But what a blessing at the end when you met the need of somebody and you gave him a word of encouragement, fed them a little bit with something, and gave them perhaps a message from the Word of God. And if they were believers, even more, what a blessing it was when they could share with us some of their experiences and so on.

What a privilege it was to entertain people and to have a home where there is hospitality. And you know, by the way, this is one of the qualifications of an elder and of a deacon. And I'm using it, deacon simply means a servant of the Lord. An elder or an overseer simply means a person who oversees a local assembly, a responsible brother in a local assembly. It is one of the qualifications, is hospitality, the necessity of bringing people in and encouraging them. And you never know who would come to your home and what a blessing you can receive even from these individuals. There is a passage that i want to read in the third John if you turn to the epistle of John look at this what John is writing to this person third epistle of John we read there in verse five John is writing beloved thou does faithfully whatsoever you do to the brethren and to the strangers which have borne witness of thy love before the assembly whom if you bring forward on their journey after a godly sort you shall do well for because that for his name's sake they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles see here is this elder that he was writing to John is telling him listen he says in verse 5 whatever you do to the brethren and to the strangers you have done it faithfully just like Abraham of old their father or the first Hebrew to whom the apostle writing to the Hebrews who is writing is that they could look back and they could remember father Abraham what kind of a man he was who had hospitality was part of his life.

And by inviting people and helping them he have been blessed and he actually entertained none else but the Lord himself and the two angels that later on went unto Sodom by the way when they went to Sodom, these two angels, when Lot wanted to invite them to come to his own house, they didn't want to go there. You know why they didn't want to go there? Because Lot was not in fellowship with the Lord. Lot was away from the Lord. And Lot invited them. They didn't want to go there. But when Abraham asked them to come in, they came in and they sat in and they had fellowship with him and they shared with him of course the Lord shared with him the future that his wife sarah will bear a child and they will call his name Yitzhak Isaac and so you can see beloved brothers and sisters here the apostle is going and he's sharing with the Hebrews the important things of practical daily life of the believer number one brotherly love continue.

Number two the importance of hospitality in first Timothy chapter three we can see that it is one of the qualification of the one that is an overseer is hospitality the apostle Paul saying the overseer verse two then must be blameless husband of one wife vigilant sober a good behavior given to hospitality. We have it in Timothy, but we also have it in the book of Titus. So, we are really dealing with practical things today. Thirdly, look at this. We are continuing in Hebrews chapter 13, and look at the third thing that he's challenging the Hebrew believers with. He's telling them in verse 3, be concerned for those who are in bond.

Those that are in jail, in bond. He's telling them in verse 3, remember them that are in bonds, as bound wisdom, which suffer adversity as being yourself also in the body. You see, here he's telling them not to neglect, but to remember the one that are in bonds now perhaps he was thinking of those believers that have been in bonds. Because of the gospel or because of one way or another and he was thinking he was saying to them listen don't forget them you know brothers and sisters we have liberty and freedom that we have today in the country in which we live in what a blessings we have but think about many believers that are today are being persecuted for the name of Yeshua the Messiah and some of them are being bonds and we cannot just forget about them altogether the apostle is telling them to remember them that are in bonds he's telling them also those which suffer adversity as being yourself also in the body because you never know what's going to happen one day we may have to face such rejection because of the gospel and we have to realize that there are many that have gone before that have been now being persecuted and being in bond by the way it was the Lord Jesus himself that told the disciples in the gospel of Matthew let me read this verse Matthew chapter 25 he says.

This to them in verse 36 he says naked and ye clothes me i was sick and you visited me i was in prison and ye came unto me and then the righteous will answer and say Lord when saw we and hungry and fed thee and thirsty and gave thee drink? When saw we thee stranger and took thee in and naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick or in prison and we came unto thee? And the king will answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done this unto one of the least of these my brethren you have done this unto me see the Lord have anticipated the time of persecution that will come upon the believers and of course chapter 24 and 25 deal with the tribulation period specifically and how the Gentiles will treat their brethren the Jewish believers of the tribulation period and the visitation and concern for those that are in bond is actually concern for the things of the Lord this is the third thing that the Lord is mentioned.

Here in these verses again we are in the first six verses of Hebrews chapter 13 and we are dealing with the spiritual fellowship that we need to have in our lives now here's the next thing in verse 4 and isn't it so real for us today in the world in which we live in the necessity of sexual purity and look at this he's telling the marriage is honorable in all you see God and given us the institution of marriage of course the world around us telling us today it's not important marriage but God has given us an institution of marriage and it is honorable God is intent to maintain this for his people so marriage is honorable but look what he's saying here and the bed is undefined sexual relationship between husband and wife is proper is given is to be enjoyed but then he said in verse 4 but whom augers and adulterers God will judge look how detailed he's here brothers and sisters you know how the human heart and the failure that we have.

In our life the sin nature that we have and the Satan that attacks the home and the world that influence our home and telling us you know what everything is okay everything is fine and yet the Lord give instruction in the Bible that is very clear marriage is honorable the bed is undefiled but adulterous homogers God will judge and you know this is lesson that the Hebrews needed to be challenged with and this is the lessons the believers in every dispensation every period of time in the history of man need to be challenged because the world and Satan and the flesh in us is against the institution of the Lord and here he's telling them there's a necessity for purity in our life and if we fail we need to judge us and confess it before the Lord because he will judge and confess sin in the life of his own people let me read to you two verses that i think are going very well with this verse in the book of Acts please turn with me to act chapter 15.

The apostle is writing to us here about the instructions that were given to the Gentiles who become believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah look at this verse act chapter 15 verses 19 and 20 He is saying, wherefore, my defense is, or my sentence is, that we should not trouble them which are among the Gentiles, which have turned to God, but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollution of idols, number one. They should abstain from fornication, number two. They should abstain from things strangled, number three. And they should abstain from blood. Four things that the nations, the believers from among the nations of the world should abstain from.

That was the council in Jerusalem that have given this instruction. The four things. And one of them is to abstrain from fornication. And that's what the apostle wrote to the Hebrew believers, and he's saying to them, Marriage is honorable in all. The bed is undefined. But who mongers and adulterers, God will judge. You remember what the apostle Paul also said to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, and I'm going to turn to this also. Very important two verses, in verses 18 and 19, He's saying to them, flee fornication. Every sin that a man does without the body, but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price. The price was the precious blood of Yeshua the Messiah. He says, therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which belong to God. You see how practical the writer here, he's really dealing with the nitty-gritty of the life of the believer. Beloved brothers and sisters, we need that. Let brotherly love continue. Don't forget to love the brethren in a practical way. Verse 1, don't forget to be hospitable. Remember them that are in bond and seek to have a pure life. We cannot do it on our own. We are failing people. We need the grace of God to help us with this.

The believers are no different than the unbelievers when it's come to their nature. We have the same old nature, the same sinful nature, and we need the grace of God to help us with this. Now, here's the fifth thing that he's telling them now in verses 5 and 6 of chapter 13. Here, he's telling them to have a proper attitude to God's provision for their lives. Look what he's saying now in verse 5 and 6. Let your manner of life be without covetousness. Be content with such things as ye have. For he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper.

I will not fear what men will do unto me. Here's the fifth thing that he's telling the Hebrew believers of first century, and he's telling us as well. You know, sometimes, I don't know if you feel like this, But I feel I'm not content with what the Lord has provided. It could be in every area. It's not necessarily being money only, but it could be in many areas. We are not content, and we kind of grumble, and we complain, and say, Lord, if I had this, I would be happy. And Lord, if you've given me this Job, and you've given me this thing in my life, I would have been happy, and everything would be fine.

And then when we get it, and then we find out that we are still not happy. There's other things that we grasp after. And on and on, and it seems to be endless. And the Lord teaching here an important lesson, the necessity of contentment. And so he's telling them, he's wanting them not only to have brotherly love, not only to have hospitality, not only to remember those that are in barn, not only to seek to live a pure life, but also to develop in their lives appreciation for what God had provided. And Luke is telling them, let your conversation be without covetousness. Covetousness is part of our sinful nature.

Coveting this, coveting that, this is real in the life of the believer. He says, in other words, let it be without this. Set it aside. Be in the next thing he's telling them and be content with such things as you have you know maybe the Lord have given some a little more than the other maybe the Lord had given something that you really wanted to another person and not to us not to you not to me and the Lord is challenging us and he says listen be content with this because godliness with contentment is a great gain when we are not content we are very unhappy unsatisfied and then we start to turn away from the things of the Lord and we start to grumble and you know when we are not satisfied we are grumbling and we become very rebellious and we end up to lose out from the spiritual gain that we should gain in our relationship with the Lord and that's why he's telling them let your manner of life be without covetousness and be content with the things which you have and you notice what he's saying to them in this verse 5 for he said and he's quoting.

Now Deuteronomy he's telling those Hebrew believers look back what the Lord says in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 31 I will never leave you and I will never forsake you a promise that God gave to the nation of Israel, to the Hebrews already many, many, many years ago. The apostle remind those Hebrews in Jerusalem, he's saying to them, listen, I will never leave you and I will never forsake you. And you know, in every situation that we find ourselves, we need to develop an attitude of contentment that we will accept things from the hands of the Lord. You know, we think of people who are sick today people who are sitting in wheelchairs people who are in a state that you and i would have never want to be there they will need to learn to be content with what the Lord has given them in their life people who are in poverty and have not much they will need to be content and God will provide for them in due time he will never leave his own we as believers might.

Forsake our own we as believers might fail to help those needy but God have never forsook those that belong to him i will never leave thee and i will never forsake you and he's saying now in verse 6 so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper i will not fear what men will do unto me taking them again to the old testament Hebrew Scriptures he take them to the Psalm Psalm 119 the psalmist says that he knows that God is his helper you see beloved brothers and sisters how practical this thing for us today we are the ones that are being challenged by this just like 2000 years ago those Hebrews of old have been challenged with so the necessity that all believers should have spiritual fellowship.

We need to check ourselves on those things every day. How is our relationship with our brothers and sisters? Do we love them? Do we really care for them? What about hospitality? Do I have people coming in and being hospitable in one way or another? How is my. Behavior? Then he's saying to them, do we care for those that are in bond and in jail and those that our suffering being persecuted and what about the necessity of being pure and we need to judge it in our own life and the importance of being thankful for the provision that God has given unto us in our life wherever we are whatever state we are we are to be thankful to the Lord easy to say yes but that's what he's challenging all of us and all those Hebrews that receive that letter so that's the first thing that apostle is telling those Hebrews first of all all believers should have spiritual fellowship don't think that you can do it alone don't think that once you become a child of God you can be on your own no we are here in this world we are related to each other to the body of Messiah and we are to function in the body in such a way now the next.

Verses in verses 7 8 and 9 and 17 and 24 which i have read he give them the second challenge that all of us need to remember all those Hebrews and you and i need to remember and this is that we should all submit to spiritual leadership. Not only that we should all have spiritual fellowship, but we should also submit to spiritual leadership. You see, God had given us leaders in the body of Messiah. God had given Israel leaders historically. He had placed them in leadership and authority and he of course expected from them to lead the nation in a godly way in the body of Messiah we have the same thing God had given us spiritual leadership and the spiritual leadership we are to appreciate we are to seek to learn from and to glean from and also to submit to and you see what he's doing here in those verses 7 8 9 and 17 and 24 he wanted the Hebrew believers to realize then that for them even at that time they will have leaders that they need to submit to them and learn from them and appreciate them how sad it is when we do not appreciate leaders that have taught us and have been example in our lives.

And because of a rebellion spirit that we have, and we're inclined to have by nature, we don't appreciate them. Here, beloved brothers, he's speaking to us. It's very, very practical. And look what he's saying. I'm reading those verses again, verses 7, 8, and 9. He says there. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Yeshua the Messiah, the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Be not carried about with diverse and strange doctrine, for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with foods which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

Look what he's now encouraging those believers to remember. You notice, by the way, when he's speaking about leaders or those that are ruling over them, he mentioned in this chapter three times the rulers, the leaders. You notice that? Verse 7, remember them which have the rule over you. Verse 17, obey them that have the rule over you. Verse 24, salute them which have the rule over you. You notice that? Three times he's mentioning at the end of the epistle, at the end of the letter, to remember the ones that have rule over them, to obey the one that have a rule over them, and to salute the one that have a rule over them.

He's bringing to the forefront those spiritual leaders of the local assembly. Those spiritual leaders of the believers of those Hebrews at that time. And you know that it is important. Thank God for those leaders that God had given to us in our lives. So much we are to be thankful for the many lessons that they have taught us. And the many truths that they have taught us from the Scriptures. And the direction. There are certain people in my life that have been a great example, that I owe them a great debt, and their consistency, their steadfastness, in spite of problems all over, they move on like pillars in an assembly, like pillars in a church, where they are continuing on they're moving forward and they just simply teach the word of God and also seek to practice this by example now mind you they are not perfect there's only one who is perfect and while we are to look at leaders and appreciate the leaders ultimately we are to look beyond the leader and look at the great leader the great one none else but the Lord Yeshua the Messiah the Lord Jesus himself but he does want us to learn the appreciation of those that are being installed by God as leaders of a local assembly leaders in various areas among the people of God and so look at this the first thing he's telling them to remember them that have the rule over them.

You see in verse 7 to remember them the reason that perhaps he's saying remember perhaps they have died some of them because of one way or another and then he's telling you know just remember them of how they have lived what kind of example that they have been to you Hebrews to you Jewish believers of first century to us in this present day look back and see those that have gone before remember them but it could be not only those that have passed away perhaps those that are living alongside with them and to remember meaning that on an ongoing basis have an attitude of appreciation for them for what the example that they have been to you and to me the life in which they have lived don't neglect this don't neglect to recognize them because they are being a model in our lives they have been an example in our life he continued in verse 7 who have spoken unto you the word of God they have taught you Hebrew believers they have.

Shared with you the Scriptures they have been there as an example he continues whose faith follow consider the end of their conversation in other words look at their life how do they live what an example in your life and this is amazing you know the important of looking back and seeing this and i know there are people in my life and i look at them and i see already 20 30 years i'm in the faith over more than 30 years and i look at them nothing changed they are moving step by step in their life there's no big things like who knows what but one thing you see the Lord is precious to them today as he was precious to them 10 years ago the Bible is being read by them today as they read it 25 years ago the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah is being presented by them as they presented it 40 years ago they just move on and they're seeking to be an example.

In their life sometimes we look at ourself and we are like that we are on a mountain and a valley in the mountain one day the Lord is so precious the next day we don't want to see him they have been steadily been an example in the life of the people of God how thankful we have to be for those pillars that the Lord had placed in our life and you know what brothers and sisters unfortunately there are not many like that thank God for those who are like this and thank God for those who are in a small measure like that but we need to recognize that and appreciate that and take it from the hands of the Lord because God has placed them in our own life turn with me to first Thessalonians 5 for a moment and verse 12 look Paul is writing now we do not know who wrote to the Hebrews some believe it is Paul we do not know we cannot say but what we can say that Paul.

Wrote to the Thessalonians and Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in verse 12 of chapter 5 1st Thessalonians 5, 12, we beseech you brethren to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake and be at peace among yourselves. Here Paul, he's saying to the Thessalonians, he says, I beseech you brethren that them that labor among you to know them to recognize them who are over you in the Lord and admonish you esteem them very highly in love for their works sake God have given us thank God for that those that have been teaching us and and laboring among the people of God and We are to recognize them and to appreciate them.

You know, in first century, when the apostles went from a city to city, they are placed in authority leaders. But today, we are not an apostles. We cannot make somebody a leader, but we can recognize a leader. We can recognize an overseer by the example of his life, by the desire of his heart, by the way he conducts himself. He's not perfect, we know that, but we are to recognize those that are ruling over us. So in verse 7, he's telling them, remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Consider how the way of life, how they are living, what they have labored among the people of God. And now if you read in verse 8 it seemed to be he's telling them the reason why they are to remember because perhaps we might incline to only look at the ruler or the one being overseer and neglect to look at the Lord and that's why he's telling them now in verse 8 Jesus the Messiah Yeshua HaMashiach the same yesterday and today and forever see a leader might be well for a while and might be even well for most of his life but he's not always perfect he seemed to fail at times because a leader is not perfect but there is one that never changes and that is the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

Jesus the Messiah the same yesterday and today and forever you know many people make mistake when they take this verse and they say you see it says in the Bible Jesus the Messiah sure the Messiah is the same yesterday today and forever and therefore what he did two thousand years ago he is doing today well you notice he doesn't say Jesus the Messiah do the same yesterday today and forever it says that he is the same his person is the same he have never changed but at times he does things different he does things in every period of time in the history he did things different obviously he doesn't do today what we have seen in first century people take this verse and they say well he says here Jesus the Messiah is the same yesterday today and forever and therefore he does today what he did yesterday he doesn't say it here his person is the same he is faithful the same he's unchanging he's God and man in one he unchanged he doesn't change.

But he changed his dealing he's doing a certain period of time and we can see it definitely in the history of the nation of Israel as well as in the history of the church when Israel came out of Egypt where were so many miracles the 10 plagues that came upon the egyptians and the crossing of the red sea and the crossing of the jordan river and the entering into the land but once time passes by there were less and less and less miracles and more and more conformity to the word of God and to the written Bible that had been given to the nation of Israel.

Same thing in the church age, when the church was founded. There were miracles on every hand. The Lord had performed miracles. The apostles had performed miracles. But as time went on and the church developed and the canon of Scripture had finished and concluded, there were less and less and less miracles and more and more necessity to be conformed to the written word of God. Not that he cannot do all kind of things. He sure can. But you can see there is different Acts in different period of time in the history of Israel and in the history of the church. So Yeshua the Messiah, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Leaders may come and go, but Yeshua remains the same. And that's why he's directing those Hebrews to the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. And in verse 9, he's telling them, and look at these brothers and sisters, be not carried about with all diverse kind of doctrines. Be not carried about with diverse and strange doctrine. For it is good thing that a heart be established with grace, not with foods which have not profited them that had been occupied with them. After he's telling them to remember them that have rule over them and that the Lord Yeshua never changed, then he's telling them, listen, he says, don't be carried about with all kind of doctrines and all kind of teachings.

See what happened if he's speaking about the rulers and he's speaking about those that have been faithful in teaching the word then he's telling them listen the word teach doctrine in the Bible we have teaching we have doctrine then he tell them that don't be carried about with all kind of doctrines it is so sad to see believers are running to and fro from one teaching to another teaching from one teacher to another teacher trying to find all kind of things instead of being established sometimes believers can be like babies when they're supposed to be already a mature believer grown up in their spiritual life and so he's telling them don't be carried about with those things with all kind of strange doctrine it is good he says that the heart will be established with grace the grace that saved us the grace that keep us the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah came from heaven and provided for us forgiveness of sins we need to be established.

With the love and the grace of God and not all manner of doctrines teaching which are so strange and so unbecoming so unprofitable he's saying to them not with food which have not profited them that have been occupied with this you know what today it is so unfortunate even among our own people the people of Israel they've been so occupied with the food eating meat with milk and washing dishes only for milk and dishes only for meat and washing in two separate sinks and what we eat then you have it the same in christianity in christendom what you eat on good friday and what you cannot eat and on and on and people are occupied with those things and not with grace and it didn't profit them at all there's a verse in colossian 2 that i'm going to read that that i think is important here in connection with this in colossian 2 Paul said to the Colossians colossian 2 16 if i'm correct look what he's telling them let no man therefore judge.

You with foods or drink or with respect of a holiday and the new moon of the Shabbat day which are a shadow of things to come all what God had given to Israel with the feasts and the holidays and the food to eat and what not to eat were shadow of good things to come and they spoke to us about the Messiah about the person of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah if you don't want to eat certain food don't eat it but that is not the aim the goal is the person of the Lord it's the grace of God if you want to keep a certain day fine but the aim should be the person of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah is the grace of God be established with grace and not with those things some have not profited from them and have been the one that have been occupied with those things what a lesson beloved brothers and sisters he's teaching the early Hebrew believers I'm reading this final.

Verses here in connection with this in Ephesians there's one more verse I want to read Ephesians chapter 4 look what the leaders have been given to us in order that teaching us the word of God the reason for that he's telling us in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 11 he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers why for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of the Messiah until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God that's the reason that we have received those rulers and elders and those who teach the word in order that we will be maturing and growing spiritually and not being occupied with things which end up eventually not to profit the children of God.

And so remember them which have a rule over you in verse 7. Obey them that have a rule over you, verse 17. Salute them that have a rule over you, verse 24 of Hebrews chapter 13. So, beloved, to conclude this message today, two things out of the four that we have in Hebrew chapter 13 is, number one, we should have spiritual fellowship. We are not alone. The Hebrews were not alone. They have fellowship. They need to have fellowship with other people, with other believers in the body of Messiah. Number two, also, we should submit to spiritual leadership. When we have people in our lives that have been a godly example, let's submit to their authority and not giving them a difficult time because they watch for our souls.

Whatever they teach us, it's for the benefit of us all. May the Lord help us to see that and to practice this for our own benefit. And we can only do that as he gives us grace and He helped us to have this in our own life. Can you say Amen to that? Amen.